Local News Now

Photo for Headline Surfer / Dawn Marie Abraham, a married mother of five, lost her life under bizarre circumstances that remain unanswered more than four years later.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Because she couldn't afford to make the $150 bail at first appearance following her April 8, 2009 misdemeanor DUI arrest, a 41-year-old Ormond Beach woman she spent six days locked up in the Volusia County branch jail.

The tragic circumstances of Dawn Marie Abraham's death, comes in at No. 483 in Headline Surfer's countdown of the Top 500 Stories as part of the 24/7 internet newspaper's 5th anniversary.

CRESCENT CITY -- Gov. Rick Scott announced Monday the appointment of Jeovanny Palencia to the Northeast Florida Regional Planning Council, Region Four. Palencia, 30, of Crescent City, owns and operates of Geo's Autos. He fills a vacant seat and for a term that ends Oct. 1, 2015.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- Already known as the shark bite capital of the world, New Smyrna Beach has another creature making headlines: a 5-foot-long rattle snake spotted in the surf.

DAYTONA BEACH -- NASCAR legend and two-time Daytona 500 winner Bill Elliott's lap speed record in qualifying that stood for 26 years has finally been broken by a hot shot driver in a flashy sports car.

Tourism-related stories trend well

Headline Surfer graphic / Feature tourism stories promoting the Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority continue to show strong placement in the major online news directories and search engines as demonstrated here.

DAYTONA BEACH -- For the first time since Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway back in February, Headline Surfer experienced tremendous surges in visitors Wednesday evening that forced the 24/7 internet newspaper's server in Dallas to shutdown periodically between 9-11 p.m. Wednesday because of tremendous increases in visitors.

Photos for Headline Surfer / If you recognize the women in these snapshots taken from a surveillance video camera at the Ulta store, then Kissimmee police want to hear from you at 407-846-3333.

KISSIMMEE -- Cops in Kissimmee are on the lookout for two young women who walked off with $4,000 worth of perfume from a store earlier this month.

"On October 3, the two females (pictured with this story) entered the Ulta store located at 2609 W. Osceola Parkway and stole over $4,000 worth of fragrances," Kissimmee police spokeswoman Stacie Miller told Headline Surfer. "It is believed that these two suspects have committed similar thefts in other jurisdictions."

Headline Surfer graphic / Keith Jones lost his life when he stepped into Lake Mary Boulevard near Forest Boulevard at 9:25 p.m. Tuesday and was struck by an SUV.

LAKE MARY -- A 50-year-old man was killed Tuesday night when he stepped into the path of an eastbound car on Lake Mary Boulevard, a spokeswoman for the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The victim, Keith Jones, was transported to South Seminole Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Headline Surfer graphic / Blue Spring State Park, winter home of manateees for its warm waters is where a scuba diver lost his life in a diving accident on this Wednesday afternoon.

ORANGE CITY -- A man died this afternoon after an apparent scuba diving accident at Blue Springs State Park, a Volusia County Sheriff's official said.

The Sheriff's Office was called at 2:52 p.m. after the fatality.

"The man was transported to Florida Hospital Fish Memorial in Orange City where he was pronounced dead," Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught told Headline Surfer. "Meanwhile, his diving partner was transported to Florida Hospital Orlando for treatment. The Sheriff's Office will be investigating the death as is standard procedure but no foul play is suspected. The name of the victim is being withheld pending notification of next of kin."

Compromise reached in Tallahassee seen as positive first step

Headline Surfer photo / Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin are shown in this screeenshort from an exclusive video interview in Miami weeks after their 17-year-old son, Trayvon Martin, was shot to death in a Sanford neighborhood by George Zimmerman.

SANFORD --  Nearly three months after George Zimmerman walked out of the Seminole County Criminal Justice Center courtroom acquitted of second-degree murder in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, the slain teen's parents may finally be realizing a dream for change.

That change is in the legislation being discussed in Tallahassee modifying the so-called "Stand Your Ground" defense that Zimmerman used as a defense in firing a fatal shot through the heart of the unarmed teen the night of Feb. 26, 2012.